A control system manipulates certain variables, referred to as “control variables,” associated with a controlled system. It does so in an attempt to cause the controlled system to achieve a particular goal, often referred to as a “set point.” A feedback control system receives information indicative of an error between the actual performance of the controlled system and the set point. It then uses this information to manipulate the control variable in an effort to reduce this error.
One system that can be placed under control of a feedback control system is a resource pool. Resource pools that include different kinds of resources, are referred to as inhomogeneous resource pools. These resource pools have a mixture of resources that fluctuate in their amounts and/or values. These fluctuations are often random fluctuations. Because of the random nature of fluctuation, such resource pools are referred to as “stochastically varying” resource pools.
Resources in resource pools can be of various types, including non-renewable resources, such as fossil fuels, or renewable resources, such as timber. Resources can also include obligations or ownership interests, the values of which depend on supply and demand of underlying resources, or of goods and services that are dependent on such resources. Such obligations and ownership interests are often referred to as bonds or shares associated with some entity.